Getting to know Windows 10 Guide contents The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to the key features in Windows 10, and give you tips and tricks on how to get started using those features. You ll find information on the following topics: A few feature highlights Start menu How to search Using tiles Task view Virtual desktops Windows behavior in modern applications Charms functionality in modern applications Snap enhancements Quick access tools Personalization and Settings A new look Personalize your lock screen Get started with themes Change your desktop background and color Apps and the action center A few feature highlights in Windows 10 Windows 10 is designed to please both touch and mouse users. It s also designed to be intuitive for users of both Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, incorporating the best of both worlds to enhance your experience and help you be more productive. Here is a glimpse of just a few of the feature highlights: The Start menu is back, putting all your apps, settings, and files just a few keystrokes, clicks, or taps away. Cortana, your personal digital assistant, helps make things easier for you and keeps you up to date. Microsoft Edge, the new browser in Windows 10, is designed to deliver a better web experience It s also easier to find and switch among open apps keep them organized, resize and reposition them, keep track of notifications, and access frequently used system settings. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 1
The Start menu is back! By popular demand, Windows 10 brings back the familiar Windows desktop and Start menu from Windows 7. The Start menu is enhanced with resizable tiles and new capabilities to help you be more productive. From the Start menu, you can: Lock your computer, change your account settings, or sign out. Quickly access your apps (both traditional Win32 and modern), documents, pictures, and settings. Shut down your computer, restart it, or put it to sleep. Search for apps, settings, and files, and search across the web. Immediately launch advanced system tools such as Power Options and Disk Management. To display the Start menu: Select the Start button on the far left of the taskbar. OR Press the Windows logo key on the keyboard. To shut down, restart, or put your computer to sleep: 1. On the Start menu, select Power. 2. Select the option you want: Sleep, Shut down, or Restart The Start menu: More options added In the left pane of the Start menu, you ll find: Links to your most-used and recently added apps. Links to File Explorer and Settings. The Power button. Select an app to launch it. Right-click the app to choose from a broader range of options, such as: Pin to Start More Uninstall To lock your computer, change your account settings, sign out, or switch your account: 1. On the Start menu, select your user name. 2. Choose the option you want: Change account settings Lock Sign out, or Switch account How to search From the Start menu, you can search for apps, settings, and files, and you can search across the web. Click the circle to the right of the Start button, and start typing in Cortana to search across the following locations: Apps on your PC including both traditional Win32 and modern apps. Documents including your documents, pictures, music, and videos. The Web. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 2
Using tiles In the right pane of the Start menu, you ll find tiles for some common apps. To move a tile, just drag it to another position. You can rearrange them within the pane. You can also drag apps between the tile view and the app list view. Right-click a tile to display a menu for performing other actions with that tile, which may include: Unpin from Start Resize Uninstall More Open recent files with the app Task view Many users know that you can press Alt +Tab to switch among running apps. In Windows 10, we added a Task View button to the taskbar to make this feature more discoverable. Virtual desktops (a new feature described on the next page) are also managed through Task view. To select an app: 1. Select Task View on the taskbar. 2. Select the app. Virtual desktops Windows 10 adds support for virtual desktops, so you can keep your open apps better organized. For example, if you need to research travel plans for an upcoming business trip while at work, you could create a second virtual desktop that contains the apps you re using to research and plan your trip. To create a new virtual desktop: 1. Select the Task View button on the taskbar. 2. Select New Desktop near the lower-right corner of the screen. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 3
To switch among virtual desktops: 1. Select the Task View button on the taskbar. 2. Select the thumbnail for the virtual desktop you want. To close a virtual desktop: 1. Select the Task View button on the taskbar. 2. Click the Close button in the thumbnail for the virtual desktop you want to close To move an app from one virtual desktop to another: 1. Select the Task View button on the taskbar. 2. Point to the virtual desktop thumbnail that contains the app you want to move. This action displays thumbnails for all open apps within that virtual desktop. 3. Right-click the thumbnail for the app you want to move. 4. Select Move to, and then select the virtual desktop where you want to move the app. Window behavior for modern apps In Windows 10, we improved how Windows works for modern apps. You can now minimize, maximize, resize, and position modern apps on your desktop, just as you can with traditional Win32 apps. To minimize, maximize, or close a modern app: Select one of the dedicated window controls that appear on the far right of the title bar just like for Win32 apps. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 4
Charms functionality in modern apps With Windows 10, you no longer need to go all the way to the right side of your screen to access the charms for an application. Now, you can just select the Menu button on the upper left to do things like search, print, or change settings. The options you see will vary by application. Snap enhancements Windows 10 includes several enhancements to Snap, making it easier to manipulate the layout of open windows on your desktop. These enhancements include: Consistent Snap behavior across traditional Win32 and modern apps. Snap Assist, which makes it easy to snap additional windows after the first one. Four-quadrant Snap, which enables you to fill your screen with four apps in a two-by-two configuration. To snap two windows side by side: 1. Drag the title bar of one window to one side of the screen, until a half-screen outline of the window appears. 2. Release the mouse (or lift your finger) to snap the window into position. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other window, using the other side of the screen. When you snap an app to the left or right, Snap Assist displays thumbnails of your other open apps. Select a thumbnail to snap that app to the other half of your screen. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 5
To arrange four windows in a two-by-two configuration on your screen: 1. Drag the title bar of the first window to the left or right side of the screen near a corner, until a quarter-screen outline of the window appears. 2. Release the mouse (or lift your finger) to snap the window into position. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the other three windows, using the other corners of the screen. Quick Access tools The Quick Access menu provides access to advanced system tools such as Power Options, Task Manager, and Control Panel. To display the Quick Access menu: Right-click the Start button on the far left of the taskbar. OR Enter the Windows key +X on the keyboard. Personalization and settings A new look Settings got a makeover and dropped PC from its name. To learn about settings: Go to Start > Settings. Have fun browsing the categories. Try using search to find something in one of your files or on the web, and check out the advanced options in Control Panel. Most apps have their own settings look for the Settings icon in the app. Tip: You can change common settings (such as airplane mode and Wi-Fi) on the fly from the Action Center on the taskbar. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 6
Personalize your lock screen Tweak your lock screen to your liking. Change the background to a favorite photo or slide show, or show upcoming calendar events, social network updates, and other app and system notifications. To customize your lock screen: 1. Go to Start, and then select Settings > Personalization > Lock screen 2. Change your device background and choose any combination of detailed and quick status notifications. Get started with themes Personalize your environment by choosing from among themes featuring cute critters, holiday cheer, and other smile-inducing options. To get a theme: 1. Go to Start, and then select Settings > Personalization > Themes 2. Select Theme settings 3. Choose from one of the default themes, or select Get more themes online Change desktop background and colors Choose a picture worthy of gracing your desktop background, and to change the accent color for Start, the taskbar, and other items. The preview window gives you a sneak peek of your changes as you make them. 1. Go to Start, and then select Settings > Personalization 2. Select Background to select a picture or a solid color, or create a slide show of pictures. 3. Select Colors to let Windows pull an accent color from your background, or choose your own color adventure. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 7
Apps and the action center Windows 8.1 enabled you to see notifications from apps, which appeared as toasts above the notification tray at the lower right of the screen. However, after a notification timed out, it was lost forever. Windows 10 remedies this with its new action center, which is similar to the notification center that was introduced in Windows Phone 8.1. Within the action center, you ll find: A persistent list of notifications, so that you can view and address them at times of your choosing. Links for performing quick actions, such as turning Wi-Fi on or off. To open the action center, select the Action Center icon in the notifications area at the far right of the taskbar. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION. 8